Portable electrical device.



No'. 662,491. Patented Nov. 27, I900.

J. S. MEAD.

PORTABLE ELECTRICAL DEVKCE. (Application filed Jan. 30, 1900. RenewedOct. 24, 1900.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN SLOA-NE MEAD, OF BUFFALO, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOWILLIAM COMERFORD, OF SAME PLACE.

PORTABLE ELECTRICAL DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,491, dated November27, 1900. Application filed January 30, 1900. Renewed October 24, 1900.serial No. 34,233. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SLoANE MEAD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable ElectricalDevices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of portable electrical devices inwhich a casing is employed to contain a storage battery and form ahandle to which the stock carrying the electrical instrument proper isattached and by which said instrument may be manipulated.

The object of the invention isaconstruction in which the means formaking and breaking the electrical connection will be so disposed as tosecure that economy of space so necessary in these hand devices, providefor the making and breaking of the electric circuit at will and in amanner most convenient to the gripping-hand, and so place the button ofthe circuit-closer that it may project from the exterior of the deviceand yet be protected from being accidentally pressed.

The invention therefore consists, primarily, in providing thebattery-case or handle portion of the instrument with a tapering orconical cap portion adapted to form the means of connection to thebattery-case of the various instrument-stocks which may be usedtherewith and having provided within said connecting portion the meansfor making the electrical contact with a conductor of the stock, thesaid means being'operated from without by a button carried by suchconnecting portion.

The invention also consists in certain other novel features in thearrangement and con- 0 struction of parts, all as hereinafter described,and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings the invention has been represented in itsapplication to a curved stock carrying a small incandes- 5 cent lamp,such as are used for examining a persons throat.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation; Fig. 2, a section taken throughthe case or handle and its cap or connecting portion, and Fig. 3

a top or plan view of the insulator-disk carrying the circuit-closer.

The case-or handle 1 is preferablyin cylindrical form and constructed ofmetal for the purpose of forming thereof a conductor for making theelectrical contact with the chemicals or battery compositions 2 storedtherein and completing the electric circuit, as will be moreparticularly pointed out hereinafter. The bottom of said case may beclosed permanently or provided with a screw-cap 3. The upper end of thecase is provided with screw-threads and closed by the screw-threadedtapering cap portion 4:, which is adapted to receive in its tapered endthe stock 5. This stock is provided with a contact-terminal 6, suitablyinsulated, as at 7, the circuit being formed with the lamp or otherelectrically-operated device by a conductor (not shown) leading from thesaid contact-terminal and by employing the stock as a conductor tocomplete the circuit in conjunction with the tapering connecting portion4,which is primarily designed for that purpose, and the case.

Within the connecting or cap portion is provided an insulator-disk 8,suitably secured therein, Which serves to partition the cap and closethe opening of the case and form the proper mounting for the means bywhich the contactterminal 6 is brought into connection with the batterycomposition 2 to complete the circuit. This circuit-connecting meanscomprises a contact 9, which, as shown, is the head of the bindingscrew10, extending through the insulator-disk at its center and from theunder side, whereby contact is made with the battery composition, and aspring contact-piece 11 in the form of an acute an gle, having the basemember l1 resting upon the insulator-disk and secured thereto by thecontact or binding screw 10 and its nut 12 and having its yielding armor member 11". paralleling the side of the tapering inclosing cap 4 innear proximity thereto, thus bringing the end ofsaid contact membersubstan- 5 tially in the center of the cap, where upon slight forwardpressure it will make connection with the contact-terminal 6, therebycompleting the electrical circuit.

The member 11 is of a width sufficient to I00 form ample bearing for thepush-button 13, which is provided with a flange l4 and held withinltheopening 15 by said member, so as to normally protrude from said'opening.

From the above description it will be seen that construction of deviceof the above-described character is provided by which, from the mannerof arrangement of the several parts, the form of the connecting-cap, andthe form and simplicity of the contact-making parts contained therein,the objects heretofore pointed out as being important in this characterof device and being the claims of the V invention are effectuallyaccomplished.

What I claim, and desire to secure by LettersP-atent, is

1. An electrical, hand appliance, comprising a battery-case, a conicalor tapering cap for closing said case at one end, adapted to receive aninstrument-stock and electrically connect the same with the case, aninsulatordisk located within said cap, a yielding contact-arm mounted onsaid disk in electrical connection with the battery and adapted tocontact with a contact-terminal of the stock,

and a push-button located within the tapera ing side of said cap,substantially as described and for the purpose .set forth.

2. An electrical, hand appliance, comprising a battery-case, a conicalortapering cap for closing said case at one end, adapted to receive aninstrument-stock and electrically connect the same with the case, aninsulatordisk located within said cap, a yielding contact-arm mounted011 said disk and having substantially the incline of the tapering sideof the cap, the same being in electrical con-

